Nonprofit Media and Exposing Injustice: How Philanthropy Can Help

Share

Last month, at CEP’s 2019 Conference in Minneapolis, at a session on podcasting and philanthropy, attendees heard from In The Dark co-creator and senior producer Samara Freemark, who discussed what it takes to find the truth in a story like the Flowers case, beset by shoddy police work and prosecutorial abuse, and deeply shrouded in racism.

It’s complicated, arduous, and expensive, she explained, requiring several members of the team to travel to Mississippi — some living there for longs stretches, slowly and carefully digging out the truth.

More and more, it falls to strong nonprofit news outlets like Pro Publica, The Marshall Project, and American Public Media to tell these critical stories. In large part, they are supported by individuals — viewers and listeners who make small contributions. But, increasingly, they also rely on foundation grants to carry out their vital work.

For funders who might consider support for journalism like this, two critical and related points must be understood: 1) journalism can have a huge impact on civic affairs; and 2) journalists have to approach each story with fairness and independence.

Read the full article about exposing injustice by Vince Stehle at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.

Giving Compass' Take:
• Urban Institute describes ways to build and measure effective two-generation policies — linking the outcomes of parents to children — in economic development.
• Many of these elements — such as multidisciplinary knowledge and the smarter use of data — could be applied to many different programs, but they are especially crucial in fighting the root causes of poverty.
• Here's more on reinventing the way we measure family outcomes.
Policies intended to improve families’ economic security and children’s well-being often don’t consider the needs of parents and their children together. Federal, state, and local systems often push work for parents in ways that are out of balance with other important goals, like securing high-quality child care and job benefits that allow parents to spend time and resources on their children’s learning, health, and well-being. Policies like the child tax credit are a step in the right direction, but we need more systems-level solutions, especially for children and families in persistent poverty.

Looking for a way to get involved?

Media and Journalism is a fascinating topic, and others found these events, galas, conferences and volunteering opportunities aggregated by Giving Compass to be relevant for individuals with a passion for Media and Journalism.